GDF ©
SUPPORT  STAFF  HIRING

It shall be the policy of the District to employ and retain the best qualified personnel.  This will be accomplished by considering qualifications and by providing competitive wages within the financial capabilities of the District, adequate facilities, and good working conditions.

Recruitment of support staff personnel is the responsibility of the Superintendent.  Other members of the administration and supervisory staff will assist as responsibilities are delegated by the Superintendent.

Before employing a certificated or noncertificated person, school districts and charter schools shall conduct a search of the prospective employee on the educator information system that is maintained by the department of education.

A school district or charter school may not employ either of the following in a position that requires a valid fingerprint clearance card:

A.  A certificated person whose certificate has been suspended, surrendered or revoked, unless the State Board of Education has subsequently reinstated the person's certificate. 

B.  A noncertificated person who has been prohibited from employment at a school district or charter school by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection b of this section.

Each school district and charter school shall annually submit to the Department of Education a list of certificated and noncertificated persons who are employed at the school district or charter school.  The department shall issue guidance to school districts and charter schools regarding this requirement.

The Board adopts the following general criteria and procedures, which shall be utilized in the selection process for initial employment:

A.  There will be no discrimination in the hiring process due to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability of an otherwise qualified individual.

B.  Candidates for all positions shall be physically and mentally able to perform the duties of the position job descriptions for which they have applied.

C.  Each candidate shall be requested to complete a consent-and-release form regarding conduct of a background investigation.

D.  A "background investigation" - consisting of communication with the applicant's (or employee's) former employer that concerns education, training, experience, qualifications, and job performance for the purpose of evaluation for employment - shall be conducted on each individual to be considered for a recommendation of employment.  Forms developed for this purpose are to be used.

Information obtained about an employee or applicant for employment by the District in the performance of a background investigation, including any records indicating that a current or former employee of a school or school district was disciplined for violating policies of the School District Governing Board pursuant to A.R.S. 15-153, may be retained by that District and may be provided to any school district or other public school that is performing a background investigation.

Any employee's misstatement of fact that is material to qualifications for employment or the determination of salary shall be considered by the Board to constitute grounds for dismissal.

A district may hire and place a noncertificated employee into service before receiving the results of the mandatory fingerprint check or a fingerprint clearance card has been issued or denied.  However, until fingerprint clearance has been received, an applicant who is required or allowed to have unsupervised contact with pupils cannot be hired and placed into service until:

A.  The District documents in the applicant's file the necessity for hiring and placing the applicant into service before a fingerprint check can be completed or a fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied.

B.  The District obtains from the Department of Public Safety a statewide criminal records information check on the applicant.  Subsequent criminal records checks are also required every one hundred twenty (120) days until the date that the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied.

C.  The District obtains references from the applicant's current employer and two (2) most recent previous employers, except that for applicants who have been employed for at least five (5) years by the most recent employer, only references from that employer are required.

D.  The District provides general supervision of the applicant until the date the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied.

Upon recommendation for employment the District shall confirm employment authorization and employment eligibility verification by participating in the E-Verify program of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA).  The District will then complete the Form I-9 as required and maintain the form with copies of the necessary documents and documentation of the authorization and verification pending any inquiry.

The District reports to the Superintendent of Public Instruction on June 30 and December 31 the number of applicants hired prior to the completion of a fingerprint check or the issuance of a fingerprint clearance card and the number of applicants for whom fingerprint checks or fingerprint clearance cards have not been received after one hundred twenty (120) days and after one hundred seventy-five (175) days of hire.

The District may provide information received as a result of a fingerprint check required by section 15-512 to any other school district if requested to do so by the person who was the subject of the fingerprint check or communicate to any school district if requested to do so by the person who applied for a fingerprint clearance card whether the person has been issued or denied a fingerprint clearance card.  A copy of any written communication regarding employment must be sent by the employer providing the information to the former employee's last known address.

Any person who permits unauthorized access to criminal history record information, releases criminal history record information, or procures the release or uses criminal history record information other than in accord with A.R.S. 41-1750 is guilty of a class 6 felony.

Adopted:  September 21, 2021

LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
13-3716
15-153
15-502
15-505
15-512
23-211
23-212
23-1361
38-201
38-481
41-1756

CROSS REF.:
GDFA - Support Staff Qualifications and Requirements
                 (fingerprinting requirements)